GIFT  OF 


THE   ACORN-PLANTER 


o. 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NBW  YORK  •    BOSTON  •   CHICAGO  •   DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •   SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LIMITED 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  LTD. 

TORONTO 


THE 

ACORN-PLANTER 

A  CALIFORNIA  FOREST  PLAY 


PLANNED  TO  BE  SUNG  BY  EFFICIENT  SINGERS 

ACCOMPANIED  BY  A  CAPABLE 

ORCHESTRA 


BY 

JACK    LONDON 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 
1916 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1916, 
BY  JACK  LONDON. 

Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  February,  1916. 


J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


ARGUMENT 

IN  the  morning  of  the  world,  while  his  tribe 
makes  its  camp  for  the  night  in  a  grove,  Red 
Cloud,  the  first  man  of  men,  and  the  first  man 
of  the  Nishinam,  save  in  war,  sings  of  the  duty 
of  life,  which  duty  is  to  make  life  more  abun 
dant.  The  Shaman,  or  medicine  man,  sings  of 
foreboding  and  prophecy.  The  War  Chief,  who 
commands  in  war,  sings  that  war  is  the  only 
way  to  life.  This  Red  Cloud  denies,  affirming 
that  the  way  of  life  is  the  way  of  the  acorn- 
planter,  and  that  whoso  slays  one  man  slays 
the  planter  of  many  acorns.  Red  Cloud  wins 
the  Shaman  and  the  people  to  his  contention. 

After  the  passage  of  thousands  of  years,  again 
in  the  grove  appear  the  Nishinam.  In  Red 
Cloud,  the  War  Chief,  the  Shaman,  and  the 
Dew- Woman  are  repeated  the  eternal  figures 
of  the  philosopher,  the  soldier,  the  priest,  and 
the  woman  —  types  ever  realizing  themselves 
afresh  in  the  social  adventures  of  man.  Red 
Cloud  recognizes  the  wrecked  explorers  as 


340603 


vi  ARGUMENT 

planters  and  life-makers,  and  is  for  treating 
them  with  kindness.  But  the  War  Chief  and 
the  idea  of  war  are  dominant.  The  Shaman 
joins  with  the  war  party,  and  is  privy  to  the 
massacre  of  the  explorers. 

A  hundred  years  pass,  when,  on  their  seasonal 
migration,  the  Nishinam  camp  for  the  night  in 
the  grove.  They  still  live,  and  the  war  formula 
for  life  seems  vindicated,  despite  the  imminence 
of  the  superior  life-makers,  the  whites,  who  are 
flooding  into  California  from  north,  south,  east, 
and  west  —  the  English,  the  Americans,  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  Russians.  The  massacre  by 
the  white  men  follows,  and  Red  Cloud,  dying, 
recognizes  the  white  men  as  brother  acorn-plant 
ers,  the  possessors  of  the  superior  life-formula 
of  which  he  had  always  been  a  protagonist. 

In  the  Epilogue,  or  Apotheosis,  occur  the 
celebration  of  the  death  of  war  and  the  triumph 
of  the  acorn-planters. 


PROLOGUE 


PROLOGUE 

TIME.    In  the  morning  of  the  world. 

SCENE.  A  forest  hillside  where  great  trees  stand  with  wide 
spaces  between.  A  stream  flows  from  a  spring  that  bursts 
out  of  the  hillside.  It  is  a  place  of  lush  ferns  and  brakes, 
also,  of  thickets  of  such  shrubs  as  inhabit  a  redwood  forest 
floor.  At  the  left,  in  the  open  level  space  at  the  foot  of  the. 
hillside,  extending  out  of  sight  among  the  trees,  is  visible  a 
portion  of  a  Nishinam  Indian  camp.  It  is  a  temporary 
camp  for  the  night.  Small  cooking  fires  smoulder.  Stand 
ing  about  are  withe-woven  baskets  for  the  carrying  of  supplies 
and  dunnage.  Spears  and  bows  and  quivers  of  arrows  lie 
about.  Boys  drag  in  dry  branches  for  firewood.  Young 
women  fill  gourds  with  water  from  the  stream  and  proceed 
about  their  camp  tasks.  A  number  of  older  women  are 
pounding  acorns  in  stone  mortars  with  stone  pestles.  An 
old  man  and  a  Shaman,  or  priest,  look  expectantly  up  the 
hillside.  All  wear  moccasins  and  are  skin-clad,  primitive, 
in  their  garmenting.  Neither  iron  nor  woven  cloth  occurs 
in  the  weapons  and  gear. 

SHAMAN 

(Looking  up  hillside.) 
Red  Cloud  is  late. 

OLD  MAN 

(After  inspection  of  hillside) 
He  has  chased  the  deer  far.     He  is  patient. 
In  the  chase  he  is  patient  like  an  old  man. 

3 


4  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SHAMAN 
His  feet  are  as  fleet  as  the  deer's. 

OLD  MAN 
(Nodding.) 

And  he  is  more  patient  than  the  deer. 

SHAMAN 

(Assertively,  as  if  inculcating  a  lesson.) 
He  is  a  mighty  chief. 

OLD  MAN 
(Nodding.) 

His  father  was  a  mighty  chief.  He  is  like  to 
his  father. 

SHAMAN 

(More  assertively.) 

He  is  his  father.  It  is  so  spoken.  He  is 
his  father's  father.  He  is  the  first  man,  the 
first  Red  Cloud,  ever  born,  and  born  again,  to 
chiefship  of  his  people. 

OLD  MAN 
It  is  so  spoken. 

SHAMAN 

His  father  was  the  Coyote.  His  mother  was 
the  Moon.  And  he  was  the  first  man. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  5 

OLD  MAN 

(Repeating.) 

His  father  was  the  Coyote.     His  mother  was 
the  Moon.    And  he  was  the  first  man. 

SHAMAN 

He  planted  the  first  acorns,  and  he  is  very 
wise. 

OLD  MAN 

(Repeating.) 

He  planted  the  first  acorns,  and  he  is  very 
wise. 

(Cries  from  the  women  and  a  turning  of 
Jaces.  RED  CLOUD  appears  among  his 
hunters  descending  the  hillside.  All 
carry  spears,  and  bows  and  arrows. 
Some  carry  rabbits  and  other  small 
game.  Several  carry  deer.) 

PLAINT  OF  THE  NISHINAM 

Red  Cloud,  the  meat-bringer! 

Red  Cloud,  the  acorn-planter! 

Red  Cloud,  first  man  of  the  Nishinam! 

Thy  people  hunger. 


6  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

Far  have  they  fared. 
Hard  has  the  way  been. 
Day  long  they  sought, 
High  in  the  mountain*, 
Deep  in  the  pools, 
Wide  'mong  the  grasses, 
In  the  bushes,  and  tree-tops, 
Under  the  earth  and  flat  stones. 
Few  are  the  acorns, 
Past  is  the  time  for  berries, 
Fled  are  the  fishes,  the  prawns  and  the  grass 
hoppers, 

Blown  far  are  the  grass-seeds, 
Flown  far  are  the  young  birds, 
Old  are  the  roots  and  withered. 
Built  are  the  fires  for  the  meat. 
Laid  are  the  boughs  for  sleep, 
Yet  thy  people  cannot  sleep. 
Red  Cloud,  thy  people  hunger. 

RED  CLOUD 

(Still  descending.) 
Good  hunting !     Good  hunting ! 

HUNTERS 
Good  hunting !    Good  hunting ! 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  7 

(Completing  the  descent,  RED  CLOUD 
motions  to  the  meat-bearers.  They  throw 
down  their  burdens  before  the  women, 
who  greedily  inspect  the  spoils.) 

MEAT  SONG  OF  THE  NISHINAM 

Meat  that  is  good  to  eat, 

Tender  for  old  teeth, 

Gristle  for  young  teeth, 

Big  deer  and  fat  deer, 

Lean  meat  and  fat  meat, 

Haunch-meat  and  knuckle-bone, 

Liver  and  heart. 

Food  for  the  old  men, 

Life  for  all  men, 

For  women  and  babes. 

Easement  of  hunger-pangs, 

Sorrow  destroying, 

Laughter  provoking, 

Joy  invoking, 

In  the  smell  of  its  smoking 

And  its  sweet  in  the  mouth. 

(The  younger  women  take  charge  of  the  meat, 
and  the  older  women  resume  their  acorn- 
pounding.) 


8  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

(RED  CLOUD  approaches  the  acorn- 
pounders  and  watches  them  with  pleasure. 
All  group  about  him,  the  SHAMAN  to  the 
fore,  and  hang  upon  his  every  action,  his 
every  utterance?) 

RED  CLOUD 
The  heart  of  the  acorn  is  good? 

FIRST  OLD  WOMAN 

(Nodding?) 
It  is  good  food. 

RED  CLOUD 

When  you  have  pounded  and  winnowed  and 
washed  away  the  bitter. 

SECOND  OLD  WOMAN 

As  thou  taught'st  us,  Red  Cloud,  when  the 
world  was  very  young  and  thou  wast  the  first  man. 

RED  CLOUD 
It  is  a  fat  food.    It  makes  life,  and  life  is  good. 

SHAMAN 

It  was  thou,  Red  Cloud,  gathering  the  acorns 
and  teaching  the  storing,  who  gavest  life  to  the 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  9 

Nishinam  in  the  lean  years  aforetime,  when  the 
tribes  not  of  the  Nishinam  passed  like  the  dew 
of  the  morning. 

(He  nods  a  signal  to  the  OLD  MAN.) 

OLD  MAN 

In  the  famine  in  the  old  time, 

When  the  old  man  was  a  young  man, 

When  the  heavens  ceased  from  raining, 

When  the  grasslands  parched  and  withered, 

When  the  fishes  left  the  river, 

And  the  wild  meat  died  of  sickness, 

In  the  tribes  that  knew  not  acorns, 

All  their  women  went  dry-breasted, 

All  their  younglings  chewed  the  deer-hides, 

All  their  old  men  sighed  and  perished, 

And  the  young  men  died  beside  them, 

Till  they  died  by  tribe  and  totem, 

And  o'er  all  was  death  upon  them. 

Yet  the  Nishinam  unvanquished, 

Did  not  perish  by  the  famine. 

Oh,  the  acorns  Red  Cloud  gave  them ! 

Oh,  the  acorns  Red  Cloud  taught  them 

How  to  store  in  willow  baskets 

'  Gainst  the  time  and  need  of  famine ! 


10  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SHAMAN 

(Who,  throughout  the  OLD  MAN'S  recital,  has 
nodded  approbation,  turning  to  RED 
CLOUD.) 

Sing  to  thy  people,  Red  Cloud,  the  song  of 
life  which  is  the  song  of  the  acorn. 

RED  CLOUD 

(Making  ready  to  begin.) 
And  which  is  the  song  of  woman,  O  Shaman. 

SHAMAN 

(Hushing  the  people  to  listen,  solemnly?) 
He  sings  with  his  father's  lips,  and  with  the 
lips  of  his  father's  fathers  to  the  beginning  of  time 
and  men. 

SONG  OF  THE  FIRST  MAN 

RED  CLOUD 
I  am  Red  Cloud, 
The  first  man  of  the  Nishinam. 
My  father  was  the  Coyote. 
My  mother  was  the  Moon. 
The  Coyote  danced  with  the  stars, 
And  wedded  the  Moon  on  a  mid-summer  night. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  II 

The  Coyote  is  very  wise, 

The  Moon  is  very  old, 

Mine  is  his  wisdom, 

Mine  is  her  age. 

I  am  the  first  man. 

I  am  the  life-maker  and  the  father  of  life. 

I  am  the  fire-bringer. 

The  Nishinam  were  the  first  men, 

And  they  were  without  fire, 

And  knew  the  bite  of  the  frost  of  bitter  nights. 

The  panther  stole  the  fire  from  the  East, 

The  fox  stole  the  fire  from  the  panther, 

The  ground  squirrel  stole  the  fire  from  the  fox, 

And  I,  Red  Cloud,  stole  the  fire  from  the  ground 

squirrel. 

I,  Red  Cloud,  stole  the  fire  for  the  Nishinam, 
And  hid  it  in  the  heart  of  the  wood. 
To  this  day  is  the  fire  there  in  the  heart  of  the 

wood. 

I  am  the  Acorn-Planter. 
I  brought  down  the  acorns  from  heaven. 
I  planted  the  short  acorns  in  the  valley. 
I  planted  the  long  acorns  in  the  valley. 
I  planted  the  black-oak  acorns  that  sprout,  that 
sprout ! 


12  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

I  planted  the  sho-kum  and  all  the  roots  of  the 

ground. 
I  planted  the  oat  and  the  barley,  the  beaver-tail 

grass-nut, 
The  tar-weed  and  crow-foot,  rock  lettuce  and 

ground  lettuce, 
And  I  taught  the  virtue  of  clover  in  the  season  of 

blossom, 
The   yellow-flowered   clover,   ball-rolled   in   its 

yellow  dust. 
I  taught  the  cooking  in  baskets  by  hot  stones 

from  the  fire, 

Took  the  bite  from  the  buckeye  and  soap-root 
By  ground-roasting  and  washing  in  the  sweetness 

of  water, 
And  of  the  manzanita  the  berry  I  made  into 

flour, 
Taught  the  way  of  its  cooking  with  hot  stones  in 

sand  pools, 
And  the  way  of  its  eating  with  the  knobbed  tail 

of  the  deer. 

Taught  I  likewise  the  gathering  and  storing, 
The  parching  and  pounding 
Of  the  seeds  from  the  grasses  and  grass-roots ; 
And  taught  I  the  planting  of  seeds  in  the  Nishi- 
nam  home-camps, 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  13 

In  the  Nishinam  hills  and  their  valleys, 
In  the  due  times  and  seasons, 
To  sprout  in  the  spring  rains  and  grow  ripe  in 
the  sun. 

SHAMAN 

Hail,  Red  Cloud,  the  first  man ! 

THE  PEOPLE 
Hail,  Red  Cloud,  the  first  man ! 

SHAMAN 

Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  feet  in  the 
world ! 

THE  PEOPLE 

Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  feet  in  the 
world ! 

SHAMAN 

Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  food  in  the 
world ! 

THE  PEOPLE 

Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  food  in  the 
world ! 

SHAMAN 

Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  hearts  in  the 
world ! 


14  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

THE  PEOPLE 
Who  showedst  us  the  way  of  our  hearts  in  the 

world ! 

SHAMAN 

Who  gavest  us  the  law  of  family ! 

THE  PEOPLE 
Who  gavest  us  the  law  of  family ! 

SHAMAN 
The  law  of  tribe ! 

THE  PEOPLE 
The  law  of  tribe ! 

SHAMAN 
The  law  of  totem ! 

THE  PEOPLE 
The  law  of  totem ! 

SHAMAN 

And  madest  us  strong  in  the  world  among 

men! 

THE  PEOPLE 

And  madest  us  strong  in  the  world  among 
men! 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  15 

RED  CLOUD 

Life  is  good,  0  Shaman,  and  I  have  sung  but 
half  its  song.  Acorns  are  good.  So  is  woman 
good.  Strength  is  good.  Beauty  is  good.  So  is 
kindness  good.  Yet  are  all  these  things  without 
power  except  for  woman.  And  by  these  things 
woman  makes  strong  men,  and  strong  men  make 
for  life,  ever  for  more  life. 

WAR  CHIEF 

(With  gesture  of  interruption  that  causes 
remonstrance  from  the  SHAMAN  but  which 
RED  CLOUD  acknowledges.) 
I  care  not  for  beauty.     I  desire  strength  in 
battle  and  wind  in  the  chase  that  I  may  kill  my 
enemy  and  run  down  my  meat. 

RED  CLOUD 

Well  spoken,  O  War  Chief.  By  voices  in 
council  we  learn  our  minds,  and  that,  too,  is 
strength.  Also,  is  it  kindness.  For  kindness 
and  strength  and  beauty  are  one.  The  eagle  in 
the  high  blue  of  the  sky  is  beautiful.  The  salmon 
leaping  the  white  water  in  the  sunlight  is  beauti 
ful.  The  young  man  fastest  of  foot  in  the  race 
is  beautiful.  And  because  they  fly  well,  and  leap 


16  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

well,  and  run  well,  are  they  beautiful.  Beauty 
must  beget  beauty.  The  ring-tail  cat  begets 
the  ring-tail  cat,  the  dove  the  dove.  Never 
does  the  dove  beget  the  ring-tail  cat.  Hearts 
must  be  kind.  The  little  turtle  is  not  kind. 
That  is  why  it  is  the  little  turtle.  It  lays  its 
eggs  in  the  sun-warm  sand  and  forgets  its  young 
forever.  And  the  little  turtle  is  forever  the 
little  turtle.  But  we  are  not  little  turtles,  be 
cause  we  are  kind.  We  do  not  leave  our  young 
to  the  sun  in  the  sand.  Our  women  keep  our 
young  warm  under  their  hearts,  and,  after,  they 
keep  them  warm  with  deer-skin  and  campfire. 
Because  we  are  kind  we  are  men  and  not  little 
turtles,  and  that  is  why  we  eat  the  little  turtle 
that  is  not  strong  because  it  is  not  kind. 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Gesturing  to  be  heard.) 

The  Modoc  come  against  us  in  their  strength. 
Often  the  Modoc  come  against  us.  We  cannot 
be  kind  to  the  Modoc. 

RED  CLOUD 

That  will  come  after.  Kindness  grows.  First 
must  we  be  kind  to  our  own.  After,  long  after, 
all  men  will  be  kind  to  all  men,  and  all  men  will 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  17 

be  very  strong.  The  strength  of  the  Nishinam 
is  not  the  strength  of  its  strongest  fighter.  It  is 
the  strength  of  all  the  Nishinam  added  together 
that  makes  the  Nishinam  strong.  We  talk,  you 
and  I,  War  Chief  and  First  Man,  because  we  are 
kind  one  to  the  other,  and  thus  we  add  together 
our  wisdom,  and  all  the  Nishinam  are  stronger 
because  we  have  talked. 

(A  voice  is  heard  singing.    RED  CLOUD 
holds  up  his  hand  for  silence.) 

MATING  SONG 
DEW-WOMAN 

In  the  morning  by  the  river, 

In  the  evening  at  the  fire, 
In  the  night  when  all  lay  sleeping, 

Torn  was  I  with  life's  desire. 
There  were  stirrings  'neath  my  heart-beats 

Of  the  dreams  that  came  to  me ; 
In  my  ears  were  whispers,  voices, 

Of  the  children  yet  to  be. 

RED  CLOUD 

(As    RED  CLOUD    sings,    DEW- WOMAN 
steals  from  behind  a  tree  and  approaches 
him.) 
c 


1 8  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

In  the  morning  by  the  river 

Saw  I  first  my  maid  of  dew, 
Daughter  of  the  dew  and  dawnlight, 

Of  the  dawn  and  honey-dew. 
She  was  laughter,  she  was  sunlight, 

Woman,  maid,  and  mate,  and  wife ; 
She  was  sparkle,  she  was  gladness, 

She  was  all  the  song  of  life. 

DEW-WOMAN 

In  the  night  I  built  my  fire, 
Fire  that  maidens  foster  when 

In  the  ripe  of  mating  season 
Each  builds  for  her  man  of  men. 

RED  CLOUD 

In  the  night  I  sought  her,  proved  her, 
Found  her  ease,  content,  and  rest, 

After  day  of  toil  and  struggle 
Man's  reward  on  woman's  breast. 

DEW-WOMAN 

Came  to  me  my  mate  and  lover  ; 

Kind  the  hands  he  laid  on  me ; 
Wooed  me  gently  as  a  man  may, 

Father  of  the  race  to  be. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  IQ 

RED  CLOUD 

Soft  her  arms  about  me  bound  me, 

First  man  of  the  Nishinam, 
Arms  as  soft  as  dew  and  dawnlight, 

Daughter  of  the  Nishinam. 

RED  CLOUD 
She  was  life  and  she  was  woman ! 

DEW-WOMAN 
He  was  life  and  he  was  man ! 

RED  CLOUD  AND  DEW- WOMAN 

(Arms  about  each  other.) 
In  the  dusk-time  of  our  love-night, 

There  beside  the  marriage  fire, 
Proved  we  all  the  sweets  of  living, 

In  the  arms  of  our  desire. 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Angrily.) 

The  councils  of  men  are  not  the  place  for 
women. 

RED  CLOUD 
(Gently.) 

As  men  grow  kind    and  wise  there  will  be 
women  in  the  councils  of  men.     As  men  grow 


20  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

their  women  must  grow  with  them  if  they  would 
continue  to  be  the  mothers  of  men. 

WAR  CHIEF 

It  is  told  of  old  time  that  there  are  women  in 
the  councils  of  the  Sun.  And  is  it  not  told  that 
the  Sun  Man  will  destroy  us  ? 

RED  CLOUD 

Then  is  the  Sun  Man  the  stronger ;  it  may  be 
because  of  his  kindness  and  wiseness,  and  because 
of  his  women. 

YOUNG  BRAVE 

Is  it  told  that  the  women  of  the  Sun  are  good 
to  the  eye,  soft  to  the  arm,  and  a  fire  in  the  heart 
of  man? 

SHAMAN 

(Holding  up  hand  solemnly.) 
It  were  well,  lest  the  young  do  not  forget,  to 
repeat  the  old  word  again. 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Nodding  confirmation.) 

Here,  where  the  tale  is  told. 

(Pointing  to  the  spring.) 

Here,  where  the  water  burst  from  under  the  heel 
of  the  Sun  Man  mounting  into  the  sky. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  21 

(WAR  CHIEF  leads  the  way  up  the  hillside 
to  the  spring,  and  signals  to  the  OLD  MAN 
to  begin) 

THE  SNARING  OF  THE  SUN 

OLD  MAN 

When  the  world  was  in  the  making, 
Here  within  the  mighty  forest, 
Came  the  Sun  Man  every  morning. 
White  and  shining  was  the  Sun  Man, 
Blue  his  eyes  were  as  the  sky-blue, 
Bright  his  hair  was  as  dry  grass  is, 
Warm  his  eyes  were  as  the  sun  is, 
Fruit  and  flower  were  in  his  glances ; 
All  he  looked  on  grew  and  sprouted, 
As  these  trees  we  see  about  us, 
Mightiest  trees  in  all  the  forest, 
For  the  Sun  Man  looked  upon  them. 
Where  his  glance  fell  grasses  seeded, 
Where  his  feet  fell  sprang  upstarting  — 
Buckeye  woods  and  hazel  thickets, 
Berry  bushes,  manzanita, 
Till  his  pathway  was  a  garden, 
Flowing  after  like  a  river, 
Laughing  into  bud  and  blossom. 


22  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

There  was  never  frost  nor  famine 
And  the  Nishinam  were  happy, 
Singing,  dancing  through  the  seasons, 
Never  cold  and  .never  hungered, 
When  the  Sun  Man  lived  among  us. 

But  the  foxes  mean  and  cunning, 
Hating  Nishinam  and  all  men, 
Laid  their  snares  within  this  forest, 
Caught  the  Sun  Man  in  the  morning, 
With  their  ropes  of  sinew  caught  him, 
Bound  him  down  to  steal  his  wisdom 
And  become  themselves  bright  Sun  Men, 
Warm  of  glance  and  fruitful-footed, 
Masters  of  the  frost  and  famine. 

Swiftly  the  Coyote  running 
Came  to  aid  the  fallen  Sun  Man, 
Swiftly  killed  the  cunning  foxes, 
Swiftly  cut  the  ropes  of  sinew, 
Swiftly  the  Coyote  freed  him. 

But  the  Sun  Man  in  his  anger, 
Lightning  flashing,  thunder-throwing, 
Loosed  the  frost  and  fanged  the  famine, 
Thorned  the  bushes,  pinched  the  berries, 
Put  the  bitter  in  the  buckeye, 
Rocked  the  mountains  to  their  summits, 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  23 

Flung  the  hills  into  the  valleys, 
Sank  the  lakes  and  shoaled  the  rivers, 
Poured  the  fresh  sea  in  the  salt  sea, 
Stamped  his  foot  here  in  the  forest, 
Where  the  water  burst  from  under 
Heel  that  raised  him  into  heaven  — 
Angry  with  the  world  forever 
Rose  the  Sun  Man  into  heaven. 

SHAMAN 
(Solemnly?) 

I  am  the  Shaman.  I  know  what  has  gone 
before  and  what  will  come  after.  I  have  passed 
down  through  the  gateway  of  death  and  talked 
with  the  dead.  My  eyes  have  looked  upon  the 
unseen  things.  My  ears  have  heard  the 
unspoken  words.  And  now  I  shall  tell  you  of 
the  Sun  Man  in  the  days  to  come. 

(SHAMAN  stiffens  suddenly  with  hideous 
facial  distortions,  with  inturned  eye-balls 
and  loosened  jaw.  He  waves  his  arms 
about,  writhes  and  twists  in  torment,  as 
if  in  epilepsy?) 

(The  WOMEN  break  into  a  wailing,  inartic 
ulate  chant,  swaying  their  bodies  to  the 
accent.  The  men  join  them  somewhat 


24  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

reluctantly,  all  save  RED  CLOUD,  who 
betrays  vexation,  and  WAR  CHIEF,  who 
betrays  truculence.) 

(SHAMAN,  leading  the  rising  frenzy,  with 
convulsive  shiverings  and  tremblings  tears 
of  his  skin  garments  so  that  he  is  quite 
naked  save  for  a  girdle  of  eagle-claws 
about  his  thighs.  His  long  black  hair 
flies  about  his  face.  With  an  abruptness 
that  is  startling,  he  ceases  all  movement 
and  stands  erect,  rigid.  This  is  greeted 
with  a  low  moaning  that  slowly  dies 
away.) 

CHANT  OF  PROPHECY 

SHAMAN 

The  Sun  never  grows  cold. 

The  Sun  Man  is  like  the  Sun. 

His  anger  never  grows  cold. 

The  Sun  Man  will  return. 

The  Sun  Man  will  come  back  from  the  Sun. 

PEOPLE 

The  Sun  Man  will  return. 

The  Sun  Man  will  come  back  from  the  Sun. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  25 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 
As  the  water  burst  forth  when  he  rose  into 

the  sky, 
So  will  the  water  cease  to  flow  when  he  returns 

from  the  sky. 
The  Sun  Man  is  mighty. 
In  his  eyes  is  blue  fire. 
In  his  hands  he  bears  the  thunder. 
The  lightnings  are  in  his  hair. 

PEOPLE 

In  his  hands  he  bears  the  thunder. 
The  lightnings  are  in  his  hair. 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  is  white. 
His  skin  is  white  like  the  sun. 
His  hair  is  bright  like  the  sunlight/ 
His  eyes  are  blue  like  the  sky. 

PEOPLE 
There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  is  white. 


26  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SHAMAN 

The  Sun  Man  is  mighty. 

He  is  the  enemy  of  the  Nishinam. 

He  will  destroy  the  Nishinam. 

PEOPLE 

He  is  the  enemy  of  the  Nishinam. 
He  will  destroy  the  Nishinam. 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  will  bear  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  will  bear  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 

SHAMAN 

In  the  day  the  Sun  Man  comes 
The  water  from  the  spring  will  no  longer  flow. 
And  in  that  day  he  will  destroy  the  Nishinam. 
With  the  thunder  will  he  destroy  the  Nishinam. 
The  Nishinam  will  be  like  last  year's  grasses. 
The  Nishinam  will  be  like  the  smoke  of  last 

year's  campfires. 
The  Nishinam  will  be  less  than  the  dreams  that 

trouble  the  sleeper. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  27 

The  Nishinam  will  be  like  the  days  no  man 

remembers. 
I  am  the  Shaman. 
I  have  spoken. 

(The  PEOPLE  set  up  a  sad  wailing) 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Striking  his  chest  with  his  fist.) 
Hohl    Hoh!    Hoh! 

(The  PEOPLE  cease  from  their  wailing  and 
look  to  the  WAR  CHIEF  with  hopeful 
expectancy) 

WAR  CHIEF 

I  am  the  War  Chief.  In  war  I  command. 
Nor  the  Shaman  nor  Red  Cloud  may  say  me  nay 
when  in  war  I  command.  Let  the  Sun  Man 
come  back.  I  am  not  afraid.  If  the  foxes  snared 
him  with  ropes,  then  can  I  slay  him  with  spear- 
thrust  and  war-club.  I  am  the  War  Chief.  In 
war  I  command. 

(The  PEOPLE  greet  WAR  CHIEF'S  pro 
nouncement  with  warlike  cries  of 
approval.) 


28  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

RED  CLOUD 

The  foxes  are  cunning.  If  they  snared  the  Sun 
Man  with  ropes  of  sinew,  then  let  us  be  cunning 
and  snare  him  with  ropes  of  kindness.  In  kind 
ness,  O  War  Chief,  is  strength,  much  strength. 

SHAMAN 

Red  Cloud  speaks  true.  In  kindness  is 
strength. 

WAR  CHIEF 

I  am  the  War  Chief. 

SHAMAN 
You  cannot  slay  the  Sun  Man. 

WAR  CHIEF 
I  am  the  War  Chief. 

SHAMAN 

The  Sun  Man  fights  with  the  thunder  in  his 
hand. 

WAR  CHIEF 

I  am  the  War  Chief. 

RED  CLOUD 

(As  he  speaks  the  PEOPLE  are  visibly  won  by 
his  argument.) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  29 

You  speak  true,  O  War  Chief.  In  war  you 
command.  You  are  strong,  most  strong.  You 
have  slain  the  Modoc.  You  have  slain  the  Napa. 
You  have  slain  the  Clam-Eaters  of  the  big  water 
till  the  last  one  is  not.  Yet  you  have  not  slain 
all  the  foxes.  The  foxes  cannot  fight,  yet  are 
they  stronger  than  you  because  you  cannot  slay 
them.  The  foxes  are  foxes,  but  we  are  men. 
When  the  Sun  Man  comes  we  will  not  be  cunning 
like  the  foxes.  We  will  be  kind.  Kindness  and 
love  will  we  give  to  the  Sun  Man,  so  that  he  will 
be  our  friend.  Then  will  he  melt  the  frost,  pull 
the  teeth  of  famine,  give  us  back  our  rivers  of 
deep  water,  our  lakes  of  sweet  water,  take  the 
bitter  from  the  buckeye,  and  in  all  ways  make 
the  world  the  good  world  it  was  before  he  left  us. 

PEOPLE 

Hail,  Red  Cloud,  the  first  man ! 

Hail,  Red  Cloud,  the  Acorn-Planter ! 

Who  showed  us  the  way  of  our  feet  in  the  world ! 

Who  showed  us  the  way  of  our  food  in  the  world ! 

Who  showed  us  the  way  of  our  hearts  in  the 

world ! 

Who  gave  us  the  law  of  family, 
The  law  of  tribe, 


30  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

The  law  of  totem, 

And  made  us  strong  in  the  world  among  men ! 

(While  the  PEOPLE  sing  the  hillside  slowly 
grows  dark) 


ACT  I 


ACT  I 

(Ten  thousand  years  have  passed,  and  it  is 
the  time  of  the  early  voyaging  from  Eu 
rope  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific ,  when  the 
deserted  hillside  is  again  revealed  as  the 
moon  rises.  The  stream  no  longer  flows 
from  the  spring.  Since  the  grove  is  used 
only  as  a  camp  for  the  night  when  the 
Nishinam  are  on  their  seasonal  migra 
tion,  there  are  no  signs  of  previous 
camps.) 

(Enter  from  right,  at  end  of  day's  march, 
women,  old  men,  and  SHAMAN,  the 
women  bending  under  their  burdens  of 
camp  gear  and  dunnage.) 

(Enter  from  left  youths  carrying  fish-spears 
and  large  fish.) 

(Appear,  coming  down  the  hillside,  RED 
CLOUD  and  the  hunters,  many  carrying 
meat.) 

(The  various  repeated  characters,  despite 
differences  of  skin  garmenting  and  decor  a- 

D  33 


34  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

tion,  resemble  their  prototypes  of  the  pro 
logue.) 

RED  CLOUD 

Good  hunting !    Good  hunting ! 

HUNTERS 
Good  hunting !    Good  hunting  I 

YOUTHS 
Good  fishing !    Good  fishing ! 

WOMEN 
Good  berries !    Good  acorns ! 

( The  women  and  youths  and  hunters,  as  they 
reach  the  camp-site,  begin  throwing  down 
their  burdens.) 

DEW-WOMAN 

(Discovering  the  dry  spring.) 
The  water  no  longer  flows ! 

SHAMAN 
(Stilling  the  excitement  that  is  immediate 

on  the  discovery.) 

The  word  of  old  time  that  has  come  down  to 
us  from  all  the  Shamans  who  have  gone  before ! 
The  Sun  Man  has  come  back  from  the  Sun. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  35 

DEW-WOMAN 

(Looking  to  RED  CLOUD.) 
Let  Red  Cloud  speak.     Since  the  morning  of 
the  world  has  Red  Cloud  ever  been  reborn  with 
the  ancient  wisdom  to  guide  us. 

WAR  CHIEF 

Save  in  war.    In  war  I  command. 

(He  picks  out  hunters  by  name.) 
Deer  Foot  .  .  .  Elk  Man  .  .  .  Antelope.    Run 
through  the  forest,  climb  the  hill-tops,  seek  down 
the  valleys,  for  aught  you  may  find  of  this  Sun 
Man. 

(At  a  wave  of  the  WAR  CHIEF'S  hand  the 
three  hunters  depart  in  different  direc 
tions.) 

DEW-WOMAN 
Let  Red  Cloud  speak  his  mind. 

RED  CLOUD 
(Quietly.) 

Last  night  the  earth  shook  and  there  was  a 
roaring  in  the  air.  Often  have  I  seen,  when  the 
earth  shakes  and  there  is  a  roaring,  that  springs 
in  some  places  dry  up,  and  that  in  other  places 
where  were  no  springs,  springs  burst  forth. 


36  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 
The  Shamans  told  it  of  old. 
The  Sun  Man  will  bear  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  will  bear  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 

SHAMAN 

The  roaring  in  the  air  was  the  thunder  of  the 
Sun  Man's  return.  Now  will  he  destroy  the 
Nishinam.  Such  is  the  word. 

WAR  CHIEF 
Hoh!    Hoh! 

(From  right  DEER  FOOT  runs  in.) 

DEER  FOOT 
(Breathless.) 
They  come !    He  comes ! 

WAR  CHIEF 
Who  comes? 

DEER  FOOT 

The  Sun  Men.  The  Sun  Man.  He  is  their 
chief.  He  marches  before  them.  And  he  is 
white. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  37 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  is  white. 

RED  CLOUD 
Carries  he  the  thunder  in  his  hand? 

DEER  FOOT 
(Puzzled) 
He  looks  hungry. 

WAR  CHIEF 

Hoh!  Hoh!  The  Sun  Man  is  hungry.  It 
will  be  easy  to  kill  a  hungry  Sun  Man. 

RED  CLOUD 

It  would  be  easy  to  be  kind  to  a  hungry  Sun 
Man  and  give  him  food.  We  have  much.  The 
hunting  has  been  good. 

WAR  CHIEF 

Better  to  kill  the  Sun  Man. 

(He  turns  upon  PEOPLE,  indicating  most 
commands  in  gestures  as  he  prepares  the 
ambush,  making  women  and  boys  con 
ceal  all  the  camp  outfit  and  game,  and 


38  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

disposing  the  armed  hunters  among  the 
ferns  and  behind  trees  till  all  are  hidden.) 

ELK  MAN  and  ANTELOPE 

(Running  down  hillside.) 
The  Sun  Man  comes. 

(WAR  CHIEF  sends  them  to  hiding  places.) 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Preparing  himself  to  hide.) 
You  have  not  hidden,  O  Red  Cloud. 

RED  CLOUD 

(Stepping  into  shadow  of  big  tree  where  he 
remains    inconspicuous    though    dimly 
visible.) 
I  would  see  this  Sun  Man  and  talk  with  him. 

(The  sound  of  singing  is  heard,  and  WAR 
CHIEF  conceals  himself.) 

(SuN  MAN,  with  handful  of  followers,  sing 
ing  to  ease  the  tedium  of  the  march,  enter 
from  right.  They  are  patently  survivors 
of  a  wrecked  exploring  ship,  making  their 
way  inland.) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  39 

SONG  OF  THE  SEA  CUNIES 

SUN  MEN 

We  sailed  three  hundred  strong 

For  the  far  Barbaree ; 
Our  voyage  has  been  most  long 
For  the  far  Barbaree ; 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 

We  sailed  the  oceans  wide 

For  the  coast  of  Barbaree ; 
And  left  our  ship  a  sinking 
On  the  coast  of  Barbaree ; 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 

Our  ship  went  fast  a-lee 

On  the  rocks  of  Barbaree ; 
That's  why  we  quit  the  sea 
On  the  rocks  of  Barbaree. 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 


40  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

We  quit  the  bitter  seas 

On  the  coast  of  Barbaree ; 
To  seek  the  savag-ees 
Of  the  far  Barbaree. 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 

Our  feet  are  lame  and  sore 

In  the  far  Barbaree ; 
From  treading  of  the  shore 
Of  the  far  Barbaree. 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 

A  weary  brood  are  we 
In  the  far  Barbaree ; 
Sea  cunies  of  the  sea 
In  the  far  Barbaree. 
So  —  it's  a  long  pull, 
Give  a  strong  pull, 
For  the  far  Barbaree. 

SUN  MAN 

(Who  alone  carries  a  musket,  and  who  is 
evidently  captain  of  the  wrecked  com 
pany?) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  41 

No  farther  can  we  go  this  night.    Mayhap 
to-morrow  we  may  find  the  savages  and  food. 

(He  glances  about.) 

This  far  world  grows  noble  trees.    We  shall  sleep 
as  in  a  temple. 

FIRST  SEA  CUNY 

(Espying  RED  CLOUD,  and  pointing.) 
Look,  Captain ! 

SUN  MAN 

(Making    the   universal   peace-sign,    arm 

raised  and  out,  palm-outward.) 
Who  are  you?    Speak.    We  come  in  peace. 
We  kindness  seek. 

RED  CLOUD 

(Advancing  out  of  the  shadow) 
Whence  do  you  come? 

SUN  MA*N 
From  the  great  sea. 

RED  CLOUD 

I    do    not    understand.    No    one    journeys 
on  the  great  sea. 


42  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SUN  MAN 
We  have  journeyed  many  moons. 

RED  CLOUD 
Have  you  come  from  the  sun? 

SUN  MAN 

God  wot!  We  have  journeyed  across  the 
sun,  high  and  low  in  the  sky,  and  over  the  sun 
and  under  the  sun  the  round  world  'round. 

RED  CLOUD 

(With  conviction.) 

You  come  from  the  Sun.  Your  hair  is  like 
the  summer  sunburnt  grasses.  Your  eyes  are 
blue.  Your  skin  is  white. 

(With  absolute  conviction.) 
You  are  the  Sun  Man. 

SUN  MAN 

(With  a  shrug  of  shoulders.) 
Have  it  so.     I  come  from  the  Sun.     I  am  the 
Sun  Man. 

RED  CLOUD 

Do  you  carry  the  thunder  in  your  hand? 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  43 

SUN  MAN 

(Nonplussed  for  the  moment,  glances  at 

his  musket,  then  smiles} 
Yes,  I  carry  the  thunder  in  my  hand. 

(WAR  CHIEF  and  the  HUNTERS  leap 
suddenly  from  ambush.  SUN  MAN 
warns  SEA  CUNIES  not  to  resist.  WAR 
CHIEF  captures  and  holds  SUN  MAN, 
and  SEA  CUNIES  are  similarly  captured 
and  held.  Women  and  boys  appear,  and 
examine  prisoners  curiously.) 

WAR  CHIEF 

Hoh!  Hoh!  Hoh !  I  have  captured  the 
Sun  Man !  Like  the  foxes,  I  have  captured 
the  Sun  Man !  —  Deer  Foot !  Elk  Man !  The 
foxes  held  the  Sun  Man.  I  now  hold  the  Sun 
Man.  Then  can  you  hold  the  Sun  Man. 

(DEER  FOOT  and  ELK  MAN  seize  the  SUN 
MAN.) 

RED  CLOUD 

(To  SHAMAN.) 
He  said  he  came  in  kindness. 


44  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Sneering.) 
In  kindness,  with  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 

SHAMAN 

(Deflected  to  partisanship  of  WAR  CHIEF 

by  WAR  CHIEF'S  success.) 
By  his  own  lips  has  he  said  it,  with  the  thunder 
in  his  hand. 

WAR  CHIEF 

You  are  the  Sun  Man. 

SUN  MAN 

(Shrugging  shoulders.) 

My  names  are  many  as  the  stars.     Call  me 
White  Man. 

RED  CLOUD 

I  am  Red  Cloud,  the  first  man. 

SUN  MAN 

Then  am  I  Adam,  the  first  man  and  your 
brother. 

(Glancing  about.) 
And  this  is  Eden,  to  look  upon  it. 

RED  CLOUD 
My  father  was  the  Coyote. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  45 

SUN  MAN 
My  father  was  Jehovah. 

RED  CLOUD 

I  am  the  Fire-Bringer.  I  stole  the  fire  from 
the  ground  squirrel  and  hid  it  in  the  heart  of 
the  wood. 

SUN  MAN 

Then  am  I  Prometheus,  your  brother.  I 
stole  the  fire  from  heaven  and  hid  it  in  the  heart 
of  the  wood. 

RED  CLOUD 

I  am  the  Acorn-Planter.  I  am  the  Food- 
Bringer,  the  Life-Maker.  I  make  food  for 
more  life,  ever  more  life. 

SUN  MAN 

Then  am  I  truly  your  brother.  Life-Maker 
am  I,  tilling  the  soil  in  the  sweat  of  my  brow 
from  the  beginning  of  time,  planting  all  manner 
of  good  seeds  for  the  harvest. 

(Looking  sharply  at  RED  CLOUD'S  skin 

garments?) 
Also   am  I   the  Weaver  and   Cloth-Maker. 

(Holding  out  arm  so  that  RED  CLOUD  may 
examine  the  cloth  of  the  coat?) 


46  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

From  the  hair  of  the  goat  and  the  wool  of 
the  sheep,  and  from  beaten  and  spun  grasses, 
do  I  make  the  cloth  to  keep  man  warm. 

SHAMAN 

(Breaking  in  boastfully?) 
I  am  the  Shaman.    I  know  all  secret  things. 

SUN  MAN 

I  know  my  pathway  under  the  sun  over  all 
the  seas,  and  I  know  the  secrets  of  the  stars 
that  show  me  my  path  where  no  path  is.  I 
know  when  the  Wolf  of  Darkness  shall  eat  the 
moon. 

(Pointing  toward  moon?) 

On  this  night  shall  the  Wolf  of  Darkness  eat 
the  moon. 

(He  turns  suddenly  to  RED  CLOUD, 
drawing  sheath-knife  and  passing  it 
to  him.) 

More,  O  First  Man  and  Acorn-Planter.     I  am 

the  Iron-Maker.     Behold ! 

(RED  CLOUD  examines  knife,  understands 
immediately  its  virtue,  cuts  easily  a  strip 
of  skin  from  his  skin  garment,  and  is 
overcome  with  the  wonder  of  the  knife?) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  47 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Exhibiting  a  long  bow.) 

I  am  the  War  Chief.  No  man,  save  me,  has 
strength  to  bend  this  bow.  I  can  slay  farther 
than  any  man. 

(A  huge  bear  has  come  out  among  the 
bushes  far  up  the  hillside) 

SUN  MAN 

I,  too,  am  War  Chief  over  men,  and  I  can 
slay  farther  than  you. 

WAR  CHIEF 
Hoh!    Hoh! 

SUN  MAN 

(Pointing  to  bear.) 
Can  you  slay  that  with  your  strong  bow? 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Dubiously.) 

It  is  a  far  shot.  Too  far.  No  man  can  slay 
a  great  bear  so  far. 

(SuN  MAN,  shaking  off  from  his  arms  the 
hands  of  DEER  FOOT  and  ELK  MAN, 
aims  musket  and  fires.  The  bear  falls, 
and  the  Nishinam  betray  astonishment 
and  awe.) 


48  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

(At  a  quick  signal  from  WAR  CHIEF, 
SUN  MAN  is  again  seized.  WAR  CHIEF 
takes  away  musket  and  examines  it.) 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 

He  carries  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 
He  slays  with  the  thunder  in  his  hand. 
He  is  the  enemy  of  the  Nishinam. 
He  will  destroy  the  Nishinam. 

SHAMAN 
There  is  a  sign. 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 

In  the  day  the  Sun  Man  comes, 
The  waters  from  the  spring  will  no  longer  flow, 
And  in  that  day  will  he  destroy  the  Nishinam. 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Exhibiting  musket.) 

Hoh!    Hoh!    I  have  taken  the  Sun  Man's 
thunder. 

SHAMAN 

Now  shall  the  Sun  Man  die  that  the  Nishinam 
may  live. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  49 

RED  CLOUD 

He  is  our  brother.  He,  too,  is  an  acorn- 
planter.  He  has  spoken. 

SHAMAN 

He  is  the  Sun  Man,  and  he  is  our  eternal 
enemy.  He  shall  die. 

WAR  CHIEF 
In  war  I  command. 
(To  HUNTERS.) 

Tie  their  feet  with  stout  thongs  that  they 
may  not  run.  And  then  make  ready  with  bow 
and  arrow  to  do  the  deed. 

(HUNTERS  obey,  urging  and  thrusting  the 
SEA  CUNIES  into  a  compact  group  be 
hind  the  SUN  MAN.) 

RED  CLOUD 
Shaman  I  am  not. 
I  know  not  the  secret  things. 
I  say  the  things  I  know. 

When  you  plant  kindness  you  harvest  kindness. 
When  you  plant  blood  you  harvest  blood. 
He  who  plants  one  acorn  makes  way  for  life. 
He  who  slays  one  man  slays  the  planter  of  a 
thousand  acorns. 


50  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SHAMAN 
Shaman  I  am. 
I  see  the  dark  future. 
I  see  the  Sun  Man's  death, 
The  journey  he  must  take 
Through  thick  and  endless  forest 
Where  lost  souls  wander  howling 
A  thousand  moons  of  moons. 

PEOPLE 

Through  thick  and  endless  forest 
Where  lost  souls  wander  howling 
A  thousand  moons  of  moons. 

(WAR  CHIEF  arranges  HUNTERS  with  their 
bows  and  arrows  for  the  killing.) 

SUN  MAN 

(To  RED  CLOUD.) 
You  will  slay  us  ? 

RED  CLOUD 

(Indicating  WAR  CHIEF.) 
In  war  he  commands. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  51 

SUN  MAN 

(Addressing  the  Nishinam) 
Nor  am  I  a  Shaman.  But  I  will  tell  you  true 
things  to  be.  Our  brothers  are  acorn-planters, 
cloth-weavers,  iron-workers.  Our  brothers  are 
life-makers  and  masters  of  life.  Many  are  our 
brothers  and  strong.  They  will  come  after  us. 
Your  First  Man  has  spoken  true  words.  When 
you  plant  blood  you  harvest  blood.  Our  broth 
ers  will  come  to  the  harvest  with  the  thunder 
in  their  hands.  There  is  a  sign.  This  night, 
and  soon,  will  the  Wolf  of  Darkness  eat  the 
moon.  And  by  that  sign  will  our  brothers  come 
on  the  trail  we  have  broken. 

(As  final  preparation  for  the  killing  is 
completed,  and  as  HUNTERS  are  ar 
ranged  with  their  bows  and  arrows, 
SUN  MAN  sings.) 

SONG  OF  THE  BROTHERS 

SUN  MAN 

Our  brothers  will  come  after, 
On  our  trail  to  farthest  lands ; 

Our  brothers  will  come  after 
With  the  thunder  in  their  hands. 


52  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SUN  MEN 

Loud  will  be  the  weeping, 
Red  will  be  the  reaping, 
High  will  be  the  heaping 
Of  the  slain  their  law  commands. 

SUN  MAN 
Givers  of  law,  our  brothers, 

This  is  the  law  they  say : 
Who  takes  the  life  of  a  brother 

Ten  of  the  slayers  shall  pay. 

SUN  MEN 
Our  brothers  will  come  after, 

On  our  trail  to  farthest  lands ; 
Our  brothers  will  come  after 
With  the  thunder  in  their  hands. 
Loud  will  be  the  weeping, 
Red  will  be  the  reaping, 
High  will  be  the  heaping 
Of  the  slain  their  law  commands. 

SUN  MAN 
Our  brothers  will  come  after 

By  the  courses  that  we  lay ; 
Many  and  strong  our  brothers, 

Masters  of  life  are  they. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  53 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  will  come  after 

On  our  trail  to  farthest  lands ; 
Our  brothers  will  come  after 
With  the  thunder  in  their  hands. 
Loud  will  be  the  weeping, 
Red  will  be  the  reaping, 
High  will  be  the  heaping 
Of  the  slain  their  law  commands. 

SUN  MAN 

Flowers  of  land,  our  brothers, 

Of  the  hills  and  pleasant  leas ; 
Under  the  sun  our  brothers 

With  their  keels  will  plow  the  seas. 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  will  come  after, 

On  our  trail  to  farthest  lands; 
Our  brothers  will  come  after 

With  the  thunder  in  their  hands. 
Loud  will  be  the  weeping, 
Red  will  be  the  reaping, 
High  will  be  the  heaping 
Of  the  slain  their  law  commands. 


54  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SUN  MAN 

Mighty  men  are  our  brothers, 
Quick  to  forgive  and  to  wrath, 

Sailing  the  seas,  our  brothers 
Will  follow  us  on  our  path. 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  will  come  after, 

On  our  trail  to  farthest  lands ; 
Our  brothers  will  come  after 
With  the  thunder  in  their  hands. 
Loud  will  be  the  weeping, 
Red  will  be  the  reaping, 
High  will  be  the  heaping 
Of  the  slain  their  law  commands. 

(At  signal  from  WAR  CHIEF  the  arrows 
are  discharged,  and  repeatedly  dis 
charged.  The  SUN  MEN  fall.  The  WAR 
CHIEF  himself  kills  the  SUN  MAN.) 

(In  what  follows,  RED  CLOUD  and  DEW- 
WOMAN  stand  aside,  taking  no  part. 
RED  CLOUD  is  depressed,  and  at  the 
same  time  is  overcome  with  the  wonder 
of  the  knife  which  he  still  holds.) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  55 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Brandishing  musket  and  drifting  stiff- 
legged,  as  he  sings,  into  the  beginning 
of  a  war  dance  of  victory.) 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

I  have  slain  the  Sun  Man ! 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

I  hold  his  thunder  in  my  hand ! 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

Greatest  of  War  Chiefs  am  I ! 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

I  have  slain  the  Sun  Man ! 

( The  dance  grows  wilder.) 

(After  a  time  the  hillside  begins  to  darken.) 

DEW-WOMAN 

(Pointing  to  the  moon  entering  eclipse.) 
Lo !    The  Wolf  of  Darkness  eats  the  Moon ! 

(In  consternation  the  dance  is  broken  off 
for  the  moment.) 

SHAMAN 

(Reassuringly.) 
It  is  a  sign. 
The  Sun  Man  is  dead. 


56  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Recovering  courage  and  resuming  dance.) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  is  dead ! 

PEOPLE 

(Resuming  dance.) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  is  dead ! 

(As  darkness  increases  the  dance  grows 
into  a  saturnalia,  until  complete  dark 
ness  settles  down  and  hides  the  hillside.) 


ACT  II 


ACT  II 

(A  hundred  years  have  passed,  when  the 
hillside  and  the  Nishinam  in  their  tem 
porary  camp  are  revealed.  The  spring 
is  flowing,  and  Women  are  filling  gourds 
with  water.  RED  CLOUD  and  DEW- 
WOMAN  stand  apart  from  their  people.) 

SHAMAN 
(Pointing.) 
There  is  a  sign. 
The  spring  lives. 
The  water  flows  from  the  spring 
And  all  is  well  with  the  Nishinam. 

PEOPLE 

There  is  a  sign. 
The  spring  lives. 
The  water  flows  from  the  spring. 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Boastingly.) 
Hoh!    Koh!    Hoh! 
All  is  well  with  the  Nishinam. 

59 


60  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

It  is  I  who  have  made  all  well  with  the  Nishi- 

nam. 

Hoh!   Hoh!  Hoh! 

I  led  our  young  men  against  the  Napa. 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
We  left  no  man  living  of  the  camp. 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

SHAMAN 

Great  is  our  War  Chief ! 

Good  is  war ! 

No  more  will  the  Napa  hunt  our  meat. 

No  more  will  the  Napa  pick  our  berries. 

No  more  will  the  Napa  catch  our  fish. 

PEOPLE 

No  more  will  the  Napa  hunt  our  meat. 
No  more  will  the  Napa  pick  our  berries. 
No  more  will  the  Napa  catch  our  fish. 

WAR  CHIEF 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

The  War  Chiefs  before  me  made  all  well  with 
the  Nishinam. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  6l 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

The  War  Chief  of  long  ago  slew  the  Sun  Man. 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

The  Sun  Man  said  his  brothers  would  come 

after. 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  lied. 

PEOPLE 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  lied. 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  lied. 

SHAMAN 
(Derisively.) 

Red  Cloud  is  sick.  He  lives  in  dreams.  Ever 
he  dreams  of  the  wonders  of  the  Sun  Man. 

RED  CLOUD 

The  Sun  Man  was  strong.  The  Sun  Man  was 
a  life-maker.  The  Sun  Man  planted  acorns, 
and  cut  quickly  with  a  knife  not  of  bone  nor 
stone,  and  of  grasses  and  hides  made  cunning 
cloth  that  is  better  than  all  grasses  and  hides. 
—  Old  Man,  where  is  the  cunning  cloth  that  is 
better  than  all  grasses  and  hides  ? 


62  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

OLD  MAN 

(Fumbling  in  his  skin  pouch  for  the  cloth.) 
In  the  many  moons  aforetime, 
Hundred  moons  and  many  hundred, 
When  the  old  man  was  the  young  man, 
When  the  young  man  was  the  youngling, 
Dragging  branches  for  the  campure, 
Stealing  suet  from  the  bear-meat, 
Cause  of  trouble  to  his  mother, 
Came  the  Sun  Man  in  the  night-time. 
I  alone  of  all  the  Nishinam 
Live  to-day  to  tell  the  story ; 
I  alone  of  all  the  Nishinam 
Saw  the  Sun  Man  come  among  us, 
Heard  the  Sun  Man  and  his  Sun  Men 
Sing  their  death-song  here  among  us 
Ere  they  died  beneath  our  arrows, 
War  Chief's  arrows  sharp  and  feathered  — 

WAR  CHIEF 
(Interrupting  braggartly) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 

OLD  MAN 

(Producing  cloth) 

And  the  Sun  Man  and  his  Sun  Men 
Wore  nor  hair  nor  hide  nor  birdskin. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  63 

Cloth  they  wore  from  beaten  grasses 
Woven  like  our  willow  baskets, 
Willow-woven  acorn  baskets 
Women  make  in  acorn  season. 

(OLD  MAN  hands  piece  of  cloth  to  RED 
CLOUD.) 

RED  CLOUD 
(Admiring  cloth.) 

The  Sun  Man  was  an  acorn-planter,  and  we 
killed  the  Sun  Man.  We  were  not  kind.  We 
made  a  blood-debt.  Blood-debts  are  not  good. 

SHAMAN 

The  Sun  Man  lied.  His  brothers  did  not  come 
after.  There  is  no  blood-debt  when  there  is  no 
one  to  make  us  pay. 

RED  CLOUD 

He  who  plants  acorns  reaps  food,  and  food  is 
life.  He  who  sows  war  reaps  war,  and  war  is 
death. 

PEOPLE 

(Encouraged  by  SHAMAN  and  WAR  CHIEF 

to  drown  out  RED  CLOUD'S  voice.) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
The  Sun  Man  is  dead ! 


64  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh!. 

The  Sun  Man  and  his  Sun  Men  are  dead ! 

RED  CLOUD 

(Shaking  his  head.) 

His  brothers  of  the  Sun  are  coming  after.  I 
have  reports. 

(RED  CLOUD  beckons  one  after  another  of 
the  young  hunters  to  speak.) 

FIRST  HUNTER 

To  the  south,  not  far,  I  wandered  and  lived 
with  the  Petaluma.  With  my  eyes  I  did  not 
see,  but  it  was  told  me  by  those  whose  eyes  had 
seen,  that  still  to  the  south,  not  far,  were  many 
Sun  Men  —  war  chiefs  who  carry  the  thunder  in 
their  hands ;  cloth-makers  and  weavers  of  cloth 
like  to  that  in  Red  Cloud's  hand ;  acorn-planters 
who  plant  all  manner  of  strange  seeds  that  ripen 
to  rich  harvests  of  food  that  is  good.  And  there 
had  been  trouble.  The  Petaluma  had  killed 
Sun  Men,  and  many  Petaluma  had  the  Sun  Men 
killed. 

SECOND  HUNTER 

To  the  east,  not  far,  I  wandered  and  lived  with 
the  Solano.  With  my  own  eyes  I  did  not  see, 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  65 

but  it  was  told  me  by  those  whose  eyes  had  seen, 
that  still  to  the  east,  not  far,  and  just  beyond  the 
lands  of  the  Tule  tribes,  were  many  Sun  Men  — 
war  chiefs  and  cloth-makers  and  acorn-planters. 
And  there  had  been  trouble.  The  Solano  had 
killed  Sun  Men,  and  many  Solano  had  the  Sun 
Men  killed. 

THIRD  HUNTER 

To  the  north,  and  far,  I  wandered  and  lived 
with  the  Klamath.  With  my  own  eyes  I  did 
not  see,  but  it  was  told  me  by  those  whose  eyes 
had  seen,  that  still  to  the  north,  and  far,  were 
many  Sun  Men  —  war  chiefs  and  cloth-makers 
and  acorn-planters.  And  there  had  been  trouble. 
The  Klamath  had  killed  Sun  Men,  and  many 
Klamath  had  the  Sun  Men  killed. 

FOURTH  HUNTER 

To  the  west,  not  far,  three  days  gone  I 
wandered,  where,  from  the  mountain,  I  looked 
down  upon  the  great  sea.  With  my  own  eyes 
I  saw.  It  was  like  a  great  bird  that  swam  upon 
the  water.  It  had  great  wings  like  to  our  great 
trees  here.  And  on  its  back  I  saw  men,  many 
men,  and  they  were  Sun  Men.  With  my  own 
eyes  I  saw. 
F 


66  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

RED  CLOUD 

We  shall  be  kind  to  the  Sun  Men  when  they 
come  among  us. 

WAR  CHIEF 

(Dancing  stiff-legged.) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
Let  the  Sun  Men  come ! 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
We  will  kill  the  Sun  Men  when  they  come ! 

PEOPLE 

04$  they  join  in  the  war  dance.) 
Hoh!    Hoh!    Hoh! 
Let  the  Sun  Men  come ! 
Hoh !    Hoh !     Hoh ! 
We  will  kill  the  Sun  Men  when  they  come. 

(The  dance  grows  wilder,  the  SHAMAN  and 
WAR  CHIEF  encouraging  it,  while  RED 
CLOUD  and  DEW- WOMAN  stand  sadly  at 
a  distance.) 

(Rifle  shots  ring  out  from  every  side.  Up 
the  hillside  appear  SUN  MEN  firing  rifles. 
The  Nishinam  reel  to  death  from  their 
dancing.) 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  67 

(RED  CLOUD  shields  DEW-WOMAN  with 
one  arm  about  her,  and  with  the  other  arm 
makes  the  peace-sign.) 

(The  massacre  is  complete,  DEW- WOMAN 
and  RED  CLOUD  being  the  last  to  fall. 
RED  CLOUD,  wounded,  the  sole  survivor, 
rests  on  his  elbow  and  watches  the  SUN 
MEN  assemble  about  their  leader.) 

(The  SUN  MEN  are  the  type  of  pioneer 
Americans  who,  even  before  the  discovery 
of  gold,  were  already  drifting  across  the 
Sierras  and  down  into  Oregon  and  Cali 
fornia  with  their  oxen  and  great  wagons. 
With  here  and  there  a  Rocky  Mountain 
trapper  or  a  buckskin-clad  scout  of  the 
Kit  Carson  type,  in  the  main  they  are 
backwoods  farmers.  All  carry  the  long 
rifle  of  the  period.) 

(The  SUN  MAN  is  buckskin-clad,  with  long 
blond  hair  sweeping  his  shoulders.) 

SUN  MEN 

(Led  by  SUN  MAN.) 
We  crossed  the  Western  Ocean 
Three  hundred  years  ago, 


68  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

We  cleared  New  England's  forests 
Three  hundred  years  ago. 
Blow  high,  blow  low, 
Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 
We  cleared  New  England's  forests 
Three  hundred  years  ago. 

We  climbed  the  Alleghanies 

Two  hundred  years  ago, 

We  reached  the  Susquehanna 

Two  hundred  years  ago. 

Blow  high,  blow  low, 

Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 

We  reached  the  Susquehanna 

Two  hundred  years  ago. 

We  crossed  the  Mississippi 
One  hundred  years  ago, 
And  glimpsed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
One  hundred  years  ago. 
Blow  high,  blow  low, 
Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 
And  glimpsed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
One  hundred  years  ago. 

We  passed  the  Rocky  Mountains 
A  year  or  so  ago, 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  69 

And  crossed  the  salty  deserts 
A  year  or  so  ago. 
Blow  high,  blow  low, 
Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 
And  crossed  the  salty  deserts 
A  year  or  so  ago. 

We  topped  the  high  Sierras 

But  a  few  days  ago, 
And  saw  great  California 
But  a  few  days  ago. 
Blow  high,  blow  low, 
Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 
And  saw  great  California 
But  a  few  days  ago. 

We  crossed  Sonoma's  mountains 

An  hour  or  so  ago, 
And  found  this  mighty  forest 
An  hour  or  so  ago. 
Blow  high,  blow  low, 
Heigh  hi,  heigh  ho, 
And  found  this  mighty  forest 
An  hour  or  so  ago. 

SUN  MAN 

(Glancing  about  at  the  slain  and  at  the  giant 
forest.) 


70  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

Good  the  day,  good  the  deed,  and  good  this 
California  land. 

RED  CLOUD 

Not  with  these  eyes,  but  with  other  eyes  in  my 
lives  before,  have  I  beheld  you.  You  are  the 
Sun  Man. 

(The  attention  of  all  is  drawn  to  RED 
CLOUD,  and  they  group  about  him  and  the 
SUN  MAN.) 

SUN  MAN 

Call  me  White  Man.  Though  in  truth  we 
follow  the  sun.  All  our  lives  have  we  followed 
the  sunset  sun,  as  our  fathers  followed  it  before 
us. 

RED  CLOUD 

And  you  slay  us  with  the  thunder  in  your  hand. 
You  slay  us  because  we  slew  your  brothers. 

SUN  MAN 

(Nodding  to  RED  CLOUD  and  addressing 

his  own  followers?) 

You  see,  it  was  no  mistake.  He  confesses  it. 
Other  white  men  have  they  slain. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  71 

RED  CLOUD 

There  will  come  a  day  when  men  will  not  slay 
men  and  when  all  men  will  be  brothers.  And  in 
that  day  all  men  will  plant  acorns. 

SUN  MAN 
You  speak  well,  brother. 

RED  CLOUD 

Ever  was  I  for  peace,  but  in  war  I  did  not  com 
mand.  Ever  I  sought  the  secrets  of  the  growing 
things,  the  times  and  seasons  for  planting.  Ever 
I  planted  acorns,  making  two  black  oak  trees 
grow  where  one  grew  before.  And  now  all  is 
ended.  Oh  my  black  oak  acorns!  My  black 
oak  acorns !  Who  will  plant  them  now  ? 

SUN  MAN 

Be  of  good  cheer.  We,  too,  are  planters. 
Rich  is  your  land  here.  Not  from  poor  soil  can 
such  trees  sprout  heavenward.  We  will  plant 
many  seeds  and  grow  mighty  harvests.' 

RED  CLOUD 

I  planted  the  short  acorns  in  the  valley.  I 
planted  the  long  acorns  in  the  valley.  I  made 
food  for  life. 


72  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SUN  MAN 

You  planted  well,  brother,  but  not  well  enough. 
It  is  for  that  reason  that  you  pass.  Your  fat 
valley  grows  food  but  for  a  handful  of  men.  We 
shall  plant  your  fat  valley  and  grow  food  for  ten 
thousand  men. 

RED  CLOUD 

Ever  I  counseled  peace  and  planting. 

SUN  MAN 

Some  day  all  men  will  counsel  peace.  No 
man  will  slay  his  fellow.  All  men  will  plant. 

RED  CLOUD 

But  before  that  day  you  will  slay,  as  you  have 
this  day  slain  us? 

SUN  MAN 

You  killed  our  brothers  first.  Blood-debts  must 
be  paid.  It  is  man's  way  upon  the  earth.  But 
more,  O  brother !  We  follow  the  sunset  sun,  and 
the  way  before  us  is  red  with  war.  The  way 
behind  us  is  white  with  peace.  Ever,  before 
us,  we  make  room  for  life.  Ever  we  slay  the 
squalling  crawling  things  of  the  wild.  Ever  we 
clear  the  land  and  destroy  the  weeds  that  block 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  73 

the  way  of  life  for  the  seeds  we  plant.  We  are 
many,  and  many  are  our  brothers  that  come  after 
along  the  way  of  peace  we  blaze.  Where  you 
make  two  black  oaks  grow  in  the  place  of  one, 
we  make  an  hundred.  And  where  we  make  one 
grow,  our  brothers  who  come  after  make  an 
hundred  hundred. 


RED  CLOUD 

Truly  are  you  the  Sun  Man.  We  knew  about 
you  of  old  time.  Our  old  men  knew  and  sang  of 
you: 

White  and  shining  was  the  Sun  Man, 
Blue  his  eyes  were  as  the  sky-blue, 
Bright  his  hair  was  as  dry  grass  is, 
Warm  his  eyes  were  as  the  sun  is, 
Fruit  and  flower  were  in  his  glances, 
All  he  looked  on  grew  and  sprouted, 
Where  his  glance  fell  grasses  seeded, 
Where  his  feet  fell  sprang  upstarting 
Buckeye  woods  and  hazel  thickets, 
Berry  bushes,  manzanita, 
Till  his  pathway  was  a  garden, 
Flowing  after  like  a  river 
Laughing  into  bud  and  blossom. 


74  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

SONG  OF  THE  PIONEERS 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  follow  on  the  trail  we  blaze. 
Where  howled  the  wolf  and  ached  the  naked 

plain 
Spring  bounteous  harvests  at  our  brothers' 

hands ; 

In  place  of  war's  alarums,  peaceful  days ; 
Above  the  warrior's  grave  the  golden  grain 
Turns  deserts  grim  and  stark  to  laughing 
lands. 

SUN  MAN 

We  cleared  New  England's  flinty  slopes  and 

plowed 

Her  rocky  fields  to  fairness  in  the  sun, 
But  fared  we  westward  always  for  we  sought 
A  land  of  golden  richness  and  we  knew 
The  land  was  waiting  on  the  sunset  trail. 
Where  we  found  forest  we  left  fertile  fields, 
We  bridled  rivers  wild  to  grind  our  corn, 
The  deer-paths  turned  to  roadways  at  our  heels, 
Our   axes   felled    the    trees    that    bridged    the 

streams, 
And  fenced  the  meadow  pastures  for  our  kine. 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  75 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  follow  on  the  trail  we  blaze ; 
Where  howled  the  wolf  and  ached  the  naked 

plain 
Spring  bounteous  harvests  at  our  brothers' 

hands ; 

In  place  of  war's  alarums,  peaceful  days ; 
Above  the  warrior's  grave  the  golden  grain 
Turns  deserts  grim  and  stark  to  laughing 
lands. 

SUN  MAN 

Beyond  the  Mississippi  still  we  fared, 

And  rested  weary  by  the  River  Platte 

Until  the  young  grass  velveted  the  Plains, 

Then  yoked  again  our  oxen  to  the  trail 

That  ever  led  us  west  to  farthest  west. 

Our  women  toiled  beside  us,  and  our  young, 

And  helped  to  break  the  soil  and  plant  the  corn, 

And  fought  beside  us  in  the  battle  front 

To  fight  of  arrow,  whine  of  bullet,  when 

We  chained  our  circled  wagons  wheel  to  wheel. 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  follow  on  the  trail  we  blaze ; 
Where  howled  the  wolf  and  ached  the  naked 
plain 


76  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

Spring  bounteous  harvests  at  our  brothers' 

hands;   . 

In  place  of  war's  alarums,  peaceful  days ; 
Above  the  warrior's  grave  the  golden  grain 
Turns  deserts  grim  and  stark  to  laughing 
lands. 

SUN  MAN 

The  rivers  sank  beneath  the  desert  sand, 

The  tall  pines  dwarfed  to  sage-brush,  and  the 

grass 

Grew  sparse  and  bitter  in  the  alkali, 
But  fared  we  always  toward  the  setting  sun. 
Our  oxen  famished  till  the  last  one  died 
And  our  great  wagons  rested  in  the  snow. 
We  climbed  the  high  Sierras  and  looked  down 
From  winter  bleak  upon  the  land  we  sought, 
A  sunny  land,  a  rich  and  fruitful  land, 
The  warm  and  golden  California  land. 

SUN  MEN 

Our  brothers  follow  on  the  trail  we  blaze ; 
Where  howled  the  wolf  and  ached  the  naked 

plain 
Spring  bounteous  harvests  at  our  brothers' 

hands ; 
In  place  of  war's  alarums,  peaceful  days; 


THE  ACORN-PLANTAR  77 

Above  the  warrior's  grave  the  golden  grain 
Turns  deserts  grim  and  stark  to  laughing 
lands. 

(The  hillside  begins  to  darken) 

RED  CLOUD 

(Faintly) 

The  darkness  is  upon  me.  You  are  acorn- 
planters.  You  are  my  brothers.  The  darkness 
is  upon  me  and  I  pass. 

SUN  MEN 

(As  total  darkness  descends) 
Our  brothers  follow  on  the  trail  we  blaze; 
Where  howled  the  wolf  and  ached  the  naked 

plain 
Spring  bounteous  harvests  at  our  brothers' 

hands ; 

In  place  of  war's  alarums,  peaceful  days ; 
Above  the  warrior's  grave  the  golden  grain 
Turns  deserts  grim  and  stark  to  laughing 
lands. 


EPILOGUE 


EPILOGUE 
RED  CLOUD 

Good  tidings !    Good  tidings 
To  the  sons  of  men ! 
Good  tidings !    Good  tidings ! 
War  is  dead ! 

(Light  begins  to  suffuse  the  hillside,  revealing 
RED  CLOUD  far  up  the  hillside  in  a 
commanding  position  on  an  out-jut  of 
rock*) 

Lo,  the  New  Day  dawns, 

The  day  of  brotherhood, 

The  day  when  all  men 

Shall  be  kind  to  all  men, 

And  all  men  shall  be  sowers  of  life. 

(From  every  side  a  burst  of  voices.) 

Hail  to  Red  Cloud ! 
The  Acorn-Planter ! 
The  Life-Maker ! 
Hail!    All  hail! 
The  New  Day  dawns, 
G  81 


82  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

The  day  of  brotherhood, 
The  day  of  man. 

(A  band  of  WARRIORS  appears  on  hillside.) 

WARRIORS 

Hail,  Red  Cloud ! 

Mightier  than  all  fighting  men ! 

The  slayer  of  War ! 

We  are  not  sad. 

Our  eyes  were  blinded. 

We  did  not  know  one  acorn  planted 

Was  mightier  than  an  hundred  fighting  men. 

We  are  not  sad. 

Our  red  work  was  when 

The  world  was  young  and  wild. 

The  world  has  grown  wise. 

No  man  slays  his  brother. 

Our  work  is  done. 

In  the  light  of  the  new  day  are  we  glad. 

(A  band  of  PIONEERS  and  SEA  EXPLORERS 
appears.) 

PIONEERS  and  EXPLORERS 

Hail,  Red  Cloud ! 
The  first  planter ! 


THE  ACORN-PLANTER  83 

The  Acorn-Planter ! 

We  sang  that  War  would  die, 

The  anarch  of  our  wild  and  wayward  past. 

We  sang  our  brothers  would  come  after, 

Turning  desert  into  garden, 

Sowing  friendship,  and  not  hatred, 

Planting  seeds  instead  of  dead  men, 

Growing  men  to  manhood  in  the  sun. 

(A  band  of  HUSBANDMEN  appear,  bearing 
fruit  and  sheaves  of  grain  and  corn.) 


HUSBANDMEN 

Hail,  Red  Cloud ! 

The  first  planter ! 

The  Acorn-Planter ! 

The  harvests  no  more  are  red,  but  golden. 

We  are  thy  children. 

We  plant  for  increase, 

Increase  of  wheat  and  corn, 

Of  fruit  and  flower, 

Of  sheep  and  kine, 

Of  love  and  lovers ; 

Rich  are  our  harvests 

And  many  are  our  lovers. 


84  THE  ACORN-PLANTER 

RED  CLOUD 

Death  is  a  stench  in  the  nostrils, 

Life  is  beauty  and  joy. 

The  planters  are  ever  brothers. 

Never  are  the  warriors  brothers ; 

Their  ways  are  set  apart, 

Their  hands  raised  each  against  each. 

The  planters'  ways  are  the  one  way. 

Ever  they  plant  for  life, 

For  life  more  abundant, 

For  beauty  of  head  and  hand, 

For  the  voices  of  children  playing, 

And  the  laughter  of  maids  in  the  twilight 

And  the  lover's  song  in  the  gloom. 

ALL  VOICES 

Hail,  Red  Cloud! 
The  first  planter ! 
The  Acorn-Planter ! 
The  maker  of  life ! 
Hail!    All  hail! 
The  New  Day  dawns, 
The  day  of  brotherhood, 
The  day  of  man ! 

THE  END 


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V 


The  Little  Lady  of  the  Big  House 

BY  JACK  LONDON 

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In  this  story  of  a  woman  whose  life  is  shaped  by 
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Dick  Forrest,  master  of  broad  acres,  a  man  of  intel 
lect,  training,  and  wealth ;  Paula,  his  wife,  young, 
attractive,  bound  up  in  her  husband  and  his  affairs ; 
and  Evan  Graham,  traveled,  of  easy  manners  and  in 
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The  problem  comes  with  Graham's  entrance  into 
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element,  of  which  there  is  an  abundance  of  a  most  satisfying  kind,  there  is  a 
thread  of  romance  involving  a  wealthy  young  man  who  takes  the  trip  on  the 
Elsinore  and  the  captain's  daugher. 

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THE  STRENGTH  OF  THE  STRONG 

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South  of  the  Slot,  The  Unparalleled  Invasion,  The  Enemy  of  all  the  World, 
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ADVENTURE 

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standpoint  the  book  is  an  undoubted  success.  And  it  is  no  less  a  success 
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lyn  Daily  Eagle. 

THE  WAR  OF  THE  CLASSES 

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soothingly  by  Professor  Walter  A.  Wyckoff,  luridly  by  Mr.  Stead,  scientific 
ally  by  Mr.  Charles  Booth.  But  Mr.  London  alone  has  made  it  real  and 
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as  if  the  author's  appeal  was  to  the  bodily  eye  as  much  as  to  the  inner  men 
tality,  and  that  the  events  are  actually  happening  before  the  reader."  —  New 
York  Herald. 

CHILDREN  OP  THE  FROST 

"  Told  with  something  of  that  same  vigorous  and  honest  manliness  and 
indifference  with  which  Mr.  Kipling  makes  unbegging  yet  direct  and  unfail 
ing  appeal  to  the  sympathy  of  his  reader."  —  Richmond  Despatch. 

THE  FAITH  OF  MEN 

"  Mr.  London's  art  as  a  story-teller  nowhere  manifests  more  strongly 
than  in  the  swift,  dramatic  close  of  his  stories.  There  is  no  hesitancy  or  un 
certainty  of  touch.  From  the  start  the  story  moves  straight  to  the  inevitable 
conclusion."  —  Courier-Journal. 

MOON  FACE 

"  Each  of  the  stories  is  unique  in  its  individual  way,  weird  and  uncanny, 
and  told  in  Mr.  London's  vigorous,  compelling  style."  —  Interior. 

TALES  OF  THE  FISH  PATROL 

"  That  they  are  vividly  told,  hardly  need  be  said,  for  Jack  London  is  a 
realist  as  well  as  a  writer  of  thrilling  romances."  —  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 

LOVE  OF  LIFE 

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incisive  with  the  tang  of  the  frost  in  it."  —  Record-Herald,  Chicago. 

LOST  FACE 

The  stories  are  strong  and  robust  and  the  characterizations  are  not  fanci 
ful  creations,  but  the  actual  happenings  of  an  existence  which  the  author  has 
lived  and  now  vividly  describes. 
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in  the  combats,  physical  and  mental,  which  he  describes. 

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